知識流通與核心能力探討─以銅箔基板業A公司為例

印刷電路板(Printed Circuit Board)係提供電子零組件安裝與互連時的主要支撐體，是所有電子產品不可或缺的基礎零件，其電子產品的發展有著密不可分的關係。過去三十年間，台灣電路板業者努力不懈，改進製程技術，提升產品品質，強化企業管理，結合台灣電子產業上、中、下游共同努力，成功地將台灣帶上國際舞台。印刷電路板主要的上游原材料銅箔基板；是支持印刷電路板工業成長的主要基礎。由於印刷電路板快速成長因而導至銅箔基板亦成長迅速，由於國內生產之銅箔基板具有售價低及品質佳等優點，已成為我國甚具國際競爭力之產業。 由於硬質(Rigid)銅箔基板的三大主要原料─銅箔、玻璃纖維布、環氧樹脂的先進技術知識來源，均掌握在歐、美、日等國。本研究是以台灣硬質(Rigid)銅箔基板產業A公司為對象，藉開發新銅箔基板的案例研究A公司與其三大主要原料供應商的互動模式，並以「技術知識特質」、「外部技術網路」、「內部技術網路」及「組織知識流通」對探討A公司「核心能力」影響。本研究發現如下： 壹、技術知識特質對外部技術網路之影響 一、研究發現A公司開發新產品時與組織知識路徑相依度不同時，其技術知識吸收來源關係緊密程度亦不相同。A公司新產品開發原料技術知識路徑相依度愈高時，與技術知識吸收來源關係愈寬鬆。A公司新產品開發原料技術知識路徑相依度愈低時，與技術知識吸收來源關係愈緊密。 二、研究發現A公司開發新產品時當組織技術知識路徑不同時，組織在吸收原料供應商的技術知識上採取不同的模式。A公司組織技術知識路徑相度愈高時，在吸收原料供應商的技術知識上採共同開發模式。A公司組織技術知識路徑相度愈低時，在吸收原料供應商的技術知識上採交付模式。 貳、外部技術網路對組織知識流通之影響 一、研究發現A公司銅箔基板產業，組織在研發新產品時依據所研發新產品的特性不同，組織與原料供應商技術知識來源緊密程度不同，組織在管理知識吸收上會採取不同的互動方式。 參、內部技術知識網路對組織知識的流通之影響 一、研究發現A公司在共同解決問題上團隊成員知識經驗分享有助於組織知識在轉換過程中創造與蓄積。A公司團隊知識經驗透過面對面的溝通、會議的召開有益於知識在結合過程中的創造。A公司團隊知識經驗透過文件資料具體化的過程，有益於知識在外化過程中蓄積與傳播。 二、研究發現A公司在執行與整合活動中、團隊擁有來自不同部門的成員有益於組織知識的流通。A公司的第一線員工─知識操作員在知識共同化的過程中藉著新產品的開發，以其實務經驗提出意見及看法讓團隊成員產生知識的共鳴。A公司的第一線員在知識外化的過程中，藉著與工程師共同制定操作手冊的方式，使組織知識蓄積。 三、研究發現A公司在實驗與原型的活動中，組織內研發部門與生產部門、品保部門、設備部門間的連結與移轉，有助於解決知識創造過程中的問題。A公司在產品研發的過程中研發部門與生產部門、品保部門、設備部門間對於人員之間互動的模式參與實驗過程以促成問題解決。 肆、A公司核心能力 一、研究發現在台灣的銅箔基板業，對於原料技術知識的獲取，僅能從供應商的管道獲得，因此A公司的核心能力之一在於與三大原料場供應商建立深遠的合作關係，而此合作關係在短期內不易為本土銅箔基板業所取代。 二、本研究發現A公司具有快速設備設計變更能力，知識執行人員願意共同與知識工程師作知識分享、藉新產品開發專案將內隱知識轉化成外顯知識並充分利用教育訓練中所習得的Six Sigma的工具共同解決問題，並蓄積組織知識，增強A公司科技能力。 三、本研究發現A公司對於供應商所提供的新原料產品，大都勇於嘗試、創新，對於設備的更新也有強烈的意願改變及突破現狀。並以此蓄積員工的技能與知識，同時也強化組織內價值觀與規範的方向。 The PCB (printed circuit board) play a major role in providing electronic devices and electronic components during the signal transfer or communication medium. In the past 30 years, Taiwan PCB's makers put lots of effort to improve their processes ,upgrade quality level , enhance management skill and link with suppliers , end user's knowledge to bring Taiwan to the world market. The base material of PCB is Copper Clad Laminate (CCL), and the PCB market rapid growth in Taiwan has led to a fast growth of CCL as well. As a result of above reason the PCB shop can get low price material ,best service and good quality of CCL that give PCB shop the capability to compete with other countries. The CCL is composed of copper foil, weaving glass fabric and epoxy resin, those three raw material's advance technologies being controlled by foreign companies. Hence this thesis is trying to discuss A company interaction model with raw material suppliers via developing new CCL products. This thesis tries to find out knowledge flow process of A company and how the internal networking and external networking to affect knowledge flow process and also try to figure out A company core capability. This thesis makes use of case study to sum up the characteristics of A company. The topics for discussion are as follows: 1. How does the characteristic of technical knowledge affect external networking? 2. How do the internal networking and external networking affect knowledge flow process? 2.1 How does the external networking affect knowledge flow process? 2.2 How does the internal networking affect knowledge flow process? 3. What is the core capability of A company? Based on the analyses of A company's 3 cases, the author has generated the following conclusions: 1. The characteristic of technical knowledge affects external networking are below: a.) Path Dependency of Technological Knowledge can affect organization knowledge absorption. When A company develop new products, the more path dependency of organizational technical knowledge is, the looser therelationship between the organization and the source of supplier's raw material technical knowledge absorption is. The less the path dependency of organizational technical knowledge is, the tighter the relationship between the organization and the source of supplier's raw material technical knowledge absorption is. b.) Different types of path dependencies of organizational technical knowledge have different modes to absorb supplier's technical knowledge. When A company developed new products, the path dependency of A company's s organizational technical knowledge is more, A company adopt co- development mode to absorb technical knowledge of raw material supplier. When A company developed new products, the path dependency of A company's organizational technical knowledge is less, A company adopt delivery mode to absorb technical knowledge of technical transfer from raw material supplier. 2. Different relationships of close degree between the organizations and the sources of technical knowledge absorption have different modes of interaction to manage knowledge absorbing. 3. The internal networking affects knowledge flow process are below: a.) From problem solving point of view, team members sharing their knowledge experiences are contributive to organizational knowledge creation and accumulation during conversion process. A company team's experience through face-to-face communication , meeting holding that contribute knowledge creation during combination process. Making use of writing documents to share knowledge experiences is contributive to knowledge accumulation and spread during externalization process. b.) During execution and integration activity stage, team member from different department are contributive knowledge spreading out. A company shop floor worker through new product development program share their experience that let team member have consensus. A company engineer and operator are by way of making use of writing working instruction and standard operation procedures to store organization's knowledge. c.) At experiment and prototype activity stage, the linkage and transference of R&D Dept. , Production Dept. , Quality Assurance Dept. and Maintenance Dept. are contributive to solving problem during knowledge creating process. 4. A company core capability a.) In regard to the raw materials advance technologies, A company only acquires from foreign company supplier channel due to local suppliers do not have capability to develop new raw material for CCL producer application. Consequently, A company core capability is build a very good and long term relationship with raw material supplier. b.) A company not only has a good and rapid equipment redesign capability but also share their experience to each other via new products development program that will accumulate A company knowledge and enhance their technology capability. c.) A company encourage team member breakthrough and innovation regarding new material application, equipment redesigning , new process or methods development to generate and accumulate employee's skill and knowledge